Charles e



(No Model.\ 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

0. E. NEWELL. V GOMPENSATING MECHANISM FOR TOWING VESSELS. No. 561,172.Patented June 2, 1896.

ANDREW RGRAKAM PHOTO-UMQWASHINGTDNJQ (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. B. NEWELL.

GOMPENSATING MEGHANISM FOR TOWING VESSELS.

No. 561,172. Patented June 2, 1896.

u v G in IO N L 0/ 5 c f 0 ATTEE|T Divan-r121 iffimm/ W 74w/Z newEGRAHAM. PMMOUmO. WASMINF-TOILD C UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. NEWELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHASE MACHINECOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMPENSATING MECHANISM FOR TOWING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561 ,172, dated June 2,1896. A li ti fil d January 13,1896. Serial No. 575,383. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. NEWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Compensating Mechanismfor Towing Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improved compensating mechanism for towingvessels; and the object of the invention is to provide means forrelieving a towing-line of the strain that comes on it in heavy seas,which cause the tow to pitch and roll and in which the line is relaxedone moment and strained with the severest tension the next moment,imperiling the line and the vessel.

To these ends my invention consists means which will temporarily relaxthe tension of the line at the instant of strain and recover the linewhen the strain has passed, all substantially as shown and described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly insection, of my improved mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of saidimproved mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

The mechanism shown in the several views comprises a suitable base andframe A, upon which the operative parts are supported and which aredesigned to be located on the deck of the tow at about the place wherethe towline usually is hitched.

Instead of the usual connection on the deck for the line or cable B, Iwind the cable about the drum D, with sufficient laps about the drum atall times to serve all the purposes of the invention. This drum isconstantly free to rotate and pay out the line, subject, however, to themeans provided for holding it steady at the place of normal pull orstrain through the towing-line, so that when only the normal and regularpull is on the drum will be held steadily at a given place and draw theload; but the mechanism holding it thus in place is of a compensatingcharacter, and while, obviously, many different mechanisms to servethis-purpose will at once suggest themselves to any skilled mechanic, Ihave adopted for my use a pair of common and wellknown engines C, havingeach apiston-rod 2,

a cross-head 3, and a pitman 4, connected by thus any and all tension orpull on cable B is communicated through the drum D and its gear 6 topinion 8, shaft E, and thence back through the connections 4 3 2 to theengines C. Now these engines are used with steam or any other expansibleagent and are provided with an automatic valve mechanism invalve-chamber G, say, as here shown,although this mechanism may bevaried considerably, or indeed wholly changed, and still serve the samepurpose and be within my invention, the-object in any case being to havea mechanism which will automatically govern the flow of the power agentaccording to the needs of the machine and give more or less pressure inthe engine-cylinders according as the cable-drum is under more or lessstrain.

It will be understood that in towing there is a constant and regulartension on the cable except, as in very rough weather, the pitching ofthe vessels may momentarily and repeatedly relax the tension and slackthe cable. Extra or excessive tension is anticipated and provided for inthe engine-cylinders and the valve-mechanism by so arranging the partsthat the greater the strain the greater the cushioned resistance, thesaid cushion, however, being always present in sufficient degree tocarry the load. Thus, referring to the drawings, we have theengine-pistons in position relativelyfor example, as shown though thisis not an arbitrary position or arrangement, and both pistons are alikecushionedsay by steam-in front of the pistons 12. In this position thevalve II is open for the steam to enter the cylinders through thepassage-ways 1t 14. The said valve hasa rod 15 extending at both endsthrough to the outside of the valve-chamber G, and at one end it isconnected with a lever-bar 17, pivoted at its upper end to an arm 18,projecting from the valve-chamber G, and at the other end has a half-nut19, seated and operating on the threaded rod or shaft 20. This rod issupported at its inner end on a yoke 22, which is pivoted on the crossshaft or red L and has a bevel-gear 24, which meshes with a bevel-gearon the said shaft L. At its opposite or outer end the rod 20 issupported in a sleeve 26, carried by an arm 27, rigid with anoperating-rod 20, extending in from the side of the machine and having alever or handle to rotate said rod, and thus raise or lower the sleeve26 and rod 20, supported by the inner arm 27 on said rod. In this way Ican throw the half-nut 19 and rod 20 out of engagement when it isdesirable to do so as, for example, when for any reasonit is necessaryto operate the valve II independently of its automatic operatingmechanism. In this case the valve is operated through the shaft N,having a rigid arm 32, connected with the outer end of valve-rod 15, andthe handle 33, Fig. 2.

The rod 20 is rotated and the valve II thereby actuated through the lineof mechanism above described, extending to shaft or rod L, and this redin turn is operated by its end levers 35, engaging in the verticalchanneled bars 37 on the inside of each of the sliding cross-heads 3.the parts which belong 011 the farther side of the machine, as shown inFig. 1, but are brought out into the relation of the corresponding parts011 the near side of the maehine, as appears in Fig. 1, so as to moreclearly show their construction than would otherwise be convenient. Thelc vcrs have each a projection working in the corresponding channel 37,and said levers stand at right angles to each other, so as to insuretheir operation at all times whatever the position of one or the otherin the said channels. The said levers also are of a length correspondingexactly to the throw of the pitman 4 on its crank 39, and thus the saidparts work harmoniously together.

In operation if there be a quick or severe pull on cable 13 the gear 6will rotate to the left, Fig. 2, and pinion 8 to the right. This ofcourse will cause the cross-heads 3 to slide toward theengine-cylinders, and the shaft L and its pinion 25 would be rotated,and the connecting mechanism running thence to valve II would cause saidvalve to open proportionately to said movement. Assuming then that thisvalve be already slightly open, it would, by letting in more steam,introduce The parts shown in Fig. 4 are still more pressure in front ofpistons 12, and the cushioning effect thereof would be increased, asalready described. Then as soon as the tension on cable 13 is relaxedthe pistons would move back under said pressure to normal position andthe slack of cable B would be instantly taken up by a counter rotationof the drum D. Thus I am enabled to con trol the valve II automaticallywithout any hand manipulation whatever and to restore all the parts totheir normal position after each crisis, where they are ready to respondagain and again as the demand for accommodation is repeated.

The valve mechanism and connected parts are partly single and partlydouble, as shown, while the pistons are double or in pairs, and the samereference letters and figures relate to the same parts on both sides ofthe machine.

\Vhen the tension on the drum is relaxed and the pistons move back, therod 20 is turn ed in the reverse direction and the nut 19 travels to theleft and carries the valve II to the left also, thus partly cutting offagain the steampressure.

hat I claim is 1. The drum and the engine and mechanism operativelyconnecting the same, and a pressure regulatin g valve for the engines,in combination with a cross-rod having levers at its ends and verticalguideways on the cross heads of the said engines to rotate said rod, apivoted lever connected with the stem of the said regulating-valve andoperating mechanism for said valve between said lever and the saidcross-rod, substantially as described.

2. The cable-drum, the engines and a crosshead for each engine connectedwith the shaft of said drum, in combination with a pressureregulatingvalve for the engines, a cross-rod having levers at its ends atdifferent angles and connected with said cross-heads, arotating shaftactuated from said cross-rod, and operating mechanism connecting saidshaft with the said pressure-regulating valve, substantially asdescribed.

The combination described, consisting of the pressure-regulating valveand the crossheads of the engines, and mechanism connectin g saidcross-heads operatively with said valve comprising a rotating shaft 20and a half-nut in en gagcment therewith, and means to lower said shaftout of engagement with said nut, substantially as described.

4. The engines and the cable-drum and the mechanism operativelyconnecting said parts, in combination with the cross-heads of theengine, a cross-rod operatively connected with said heads at its ends,the pressure-regulating valve for said engines, a vibrating lever foroperating said valve and mechanism connecting the said lever with thesaid cross-rod, substantially as described.

5. The machine having a drum, a shaft operated therefrom, the enginesand mechanism connecting said engines and shaft, in combivalve isautomatically operated by the drum nation with a pressure-regulatingValve for and the engines, substantially as described. 10 said engines,the cross-heads and a cross-rod Witness myhand to theforegoingspeeificaoperatively connected with the same at its tion.

ends, 'a shaft, gears between said rod and said CHARLES E. NEWELL. shaftto rotate the shaft, and an arm actuated Witnesses: by said rod andoperatively connected With H. T. FISHER,

the spindle of the said Valve, whereby the H. E. MUDRA.

